Ortega’s failures to impose a “personal political operator” in the General Secretariat of SICA

Daniel Ortega has presented two shortlists to the member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA), seeking to impose in the General Secretariat of the organization a political operator loyal to the interests of his totalitarian project, however, so far he has failed, for questions from human rights organizations and Nicaraguan opponents who have denounced the dictator’s intentions to “take over” the organization with an official committed to repression and the violation of public liberties in Nicaragua.

In November 2023, the Managua regime surprisingly announced the “alleged resignation” of the general secretary of SICA, Werner Isaac Vargas Torres, an official with experience and professional training within the organization, who had been proposed by the dictatorship itself a year before. , which for some analysts was nothing more than a maneuver by the regime to remove a technical official and place a political operator in his place.

Vargas Torres had assumed office on August 11, 2022, achieving consensus among the member countries for his appointment for a period of four years, which was to expire on August 10, 2026. His appointment as head of the General Secretariat did not meet with opposition. given that he is a professional with diplomatic experience and technical training within SICA.

However, on November 17, 2023, the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry announced that Vargas had presented his irrevocable resignation from the position, so the State of Nicaragua, assuming its right to preside over the General Secretariat, in accordance with the Tegucigalpa Protocol , proceeded to propose a shortlist to name his replacement. The regime’s maneuver did not go well.

Political operators rejected

In his first shortlist, Ortega proposed three of his political figures to occupy that regional position: the experienced political operator Valdrack Ludwing Jaentschke Whitaker, one of the diplomatic service officials who has held 12 simultaneous positions within the regime, and has also has been accused of being a spy who seeks to facilitate repressive actions against exiled opponents in Costa Rica.

Violeta Irías Nelson, an employee of the dictatorship in the Office of the Attorney General for the Defense of Human Rights (PPDDH), and the Sandinista deputy Iris Marina Montenegro Blandón were also proposed. Ortega’s main objective was to impose Jaentschke, but he failed to do so.

Faced with the impossibility of placing its political operator, the Managua regime threatened with an ephemeral withdrawal from the organization, trying to blackmail the member states, but that maneuver did not work either.

Related news: Ortega proposes officials committed to repression for the SICA Secretariat, including two “criminals against humanity”

On June 17 of this year, the dictatorship ordered its Foreign Ministry to send an “ultimatum” to SICA, given the refusal of its directors to elect one of their proposals to occupy the position of general secretary.

In a letter signed by the then Nicaraguan Foreign Minister, Denis Moncada, dated June 11, Ortega informed the rest of the Central American countries that “he will not exercise the Protémpore Presidency of SICA and will not participate in meetings or activities while this state of illegality persists and will not “the institutionality” of that integration body is restored, referring to the appointment of the general secretary that had not been made.

However, the threat did not last long, because 48 hours later, the dictatorship announced that it would accept the pro tempore presidency that corresponded to it.

Sandinista diplomacy continued to push to impose its main candidate Jaentschke, but its attempt completely failed on August 28, after, during the summit of foreign ministers of the organization, the regime’s proposal was defeated by not obtaining the necessary votes to remain in office. position of general secretary.

New proposals that opponents say will not prosper

Defeated again, the Managua dictatorship chose to dismiss Foreign Minister Denis Moncada, supposedly due to illness and appointed Jaentschke in his place, and proposed a new shortlist officially announced on October 9, which includes three women sanctioned by the United States. and two of them accused of being criminals against humanity.

Ortega’s new proposals are: Sonia Castro González, former minister of health and current presidential advisor for “Health Affairs”, sanctioned by the United States Government, for being directly committed to human rights violations and accused of perpetrating crimes against humanity by closing hospitals so that they would not treat the injured during the social protests of 2018.